Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray · hacienda
A hacienda in the Sacred Valley
An old valley farmhouse with adobe walls, an orchard and llamas on the lawn. The gentlest first Andean night we know.
Cusco & the Sacred Valley
Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray
The Sacred Valley: lower, greener and the best place to start
- Altitude
- ~2,870 m (9,416 ft)verify
- Altitude band
- High
- Time needed
- 2–3 nights
The Urubamba River runs through a valley about 500 metres lower than Cusco, which makes it the kindest place to spend your first Andean nights. Market day in Pisac, the terraced fortress at Ollantaytambo, the circular terraces of Moray and the salt pans of Maras are all within easy reach.
Altitude note: Valley floor roughly 2,800–2,900 m; Moray and Maras sit higher, around 3,300–3,500 m (verify).
Most people notice it at first. Take the first day easy and drink plenty of water. Altitude, explained
Highlights
- Pisac ruins and market
- Ollantaytambo's terraces
- Moray's circular terraces
- Maras salt pans
- Weaving cooperatives in Chinchero
What to eat here
Choclo con queso
Giant-kernel white corn from the Sacred Valley, eaten on the cob with a slab of fresh cheese.
Pachamanca
Meat, potatoes, beans and herbs cooked under hot stones in an earth oven. A feast for a group.
Maras salt
Pink-tinged salt from thousands of terraced pans fed by a salty spring, harvested by local families.
Chicha morada
A sweet, spiced drink made from purple corn, pineapple and cinnamon. Non-alcoholic and very popular with kids.
Native potatoes
Peru grows thousands of potato varieties: purple, yellow, knobbly, striped. Ask for papas nativas and see how many you can tell apart.
Cooking class
Cook with Andean ingredients in a farm kitchen or a Cusco home, then eat the results.
Accommodation
Where to stay in Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray
Journeys
Journeys that go here
10 daysFirst Peru, Done Right
Lima's tables, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco, in the order your lungs would choose.
From US$4,200 pp
8 daysThe Classic Inca Trail
Two nights acclimatising first, then four days on original stone paths to the Sun Gate.
From US$3,600 pp
9 daysSalkantay to Machu Picchu
A wild, permit-free trek from a glacier pass down through coffee country to the citadel.
From US$3,900 pp
14 daysAndes & Amazon
The Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco, then down into the rainforest, and a last night by the Pacific.
From US$6,800 pp
10 daysPeru for Food Lovers
Lima's tables, Sacred Valley farms, Cusco's markets and Arequipa's picanterías.
From US$4,800 pp
11 daysPeru with Kids
Sea lions, Inca ruins, a train through the gorge and three days in the rainforest, at a family pace.
From US$4,600 pp
Cusco & the Sacred Valley
Nearby too
Cusco
~3,400 mInca walls under colonial balconies, at about 3,400 metres
Machu Picchu
~2,430 mThe citadel itself, and everything you need to get the timing right
The Inca Trail & Salkantay
~4,215 mTwo great walks to Machu Picchu, each with its own rules
Rainbow Mountain
~5,000 mStriped mineral slopes at about 5,000 metres. Only once you're acclimatised
Add Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Maras & Moray to your trip
Tell us when you'd like to go and what you'd love to see. Your Peru Specialist will come back with ideas, honest advice on altitude and timing, and a clear price.